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Inside Today: First pitch starts the season for area little leagues • Page 5B

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Covering the Heights, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & the neighborhoods of North Houston Saturday, March 24, 2018 • Vol. 63 • No. 10

About Us 3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd Suite A (713) 686-8494 news@theleadernews.com www.theleadernews.com Facebook/THE LEADER.

Residents livid at plant plans By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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Concrete batch plants play a vital role in Houston by producing the ready-mix concrete used for new buildings and roads. But that doesn’t mean new plants are well-received, and one in the area is facing a backlash from residents. As confirmed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), Soto Ready Mix has applied for a permit at 3411 Desoto St., just off TC Jester Boulevard - and that location, so close to residential

homes, has people concerned. “I am totally against this being built anywhere in the vicinity of this area; it will be detrimental to the total living environment and the quality of life,” said Kathrine Kerns, who lives near the proposed plant and was notified along with other residents of the application earlier this year. “It will be toxic to the air quality, the water quality, and the standard of living for everyone down the whole bayou. This area is also prone to flooding which will also play a factor into See Concrete P. 6A

Photo by Landan Kuhlmann Soto Ready Mix has applied for construction of a concrete batch plant at a local location close to a residential area, which is a concern to nearby residents.

Arrests tally up for illegal dumping

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Photo courtesy of Mayor’s Office of Special Events Residents take to the Heights at Cigna Sunday Streets in 2015. This year’s party is Sunday, March 25 on 19th Street between North Shepherd and Heights Boulevard. Bikers and walkers alike are invited to attend.

Cigna hosts Heights party Sunday from 12-4 p.m. Part bike tour, part walking tour, part block party, Cigna Sunday Streets was created in 2014 to promote and improve the health of Houstonians and stimulates new economic opportunities for neighborhood commercial districts. “We’re delighted to partner with local businesses, community organizations and the City of Houston for a fifth great year of Cigna Sunday Streets,” said Mike Koehler, president of Cigna’s South Texas market. “We encourage all Houstonians to join us for some healthy

By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com

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The INDEX. Church....................................................... 7A Classifieds.............................................. 7B Coupons. ................................................. 5A Food/Drink/Art................................... 9A Obituaries.............................................. 7A Opinion. ................................................... 4A Public Information......................... 3A Puzzles...................................................... 4A Sports. ....................................................... 5B

In a city as large as Houston, it can be difficult to distinguish city neighborhood from city neighborhood. But the city of Houston’s now-annual block-party style initiative to bridge that gap while promoting a healthy lifestyle kicks off this weekend with a return to the Heights. The city’s Cigna Sunday Streets initiative will kick off its 2018 Spring season this Sunday, March 25 in the Heights on 19th street

1422 Curtin

See Cigna P. 6A

See Dumping P. 6A

Restaurant pulls from Revive, back to Heights area By Betsy Denson For The Leader When The Leader last spoke with David Colby of Panini & Provisions, which was reimagined as Pop & Pan for their next venture, he and his brother Alex had signed a lease for the Revive development at 34th and Ella. The plans called for an upscale venture that would pay homage to their best loved offerings – namely Paninis and popcorn. About two months ago, Colby said they decided on a location change and a return to their original funding model. The new location will be the spot currently occupied by the Flying Dragon, in a center on West 18th Street that is close to Hughie’s and the new La Vista. “We’re moving closer to the Heights,” Colby said. “It’s not too far.” Colby said that their new space will be about

1,000 square feet larger with a bigger kitchen that will allow them to do more catering. The fact that the space is already a restaurant is a big plus. “We get the keys in April,” said Colby, who hopes that they will be up and running in the next three months. The planned menu won’t change much from what Colby told The Leader last summer. “We’ll have dinner service, beer and wine, and brunch,” he said. “We’re going to change the game with the sandwich.” Colby said they were exploring the idea of late night bites and staying open until 3 a.m. on the weekends. The brothers secured the financing for their first location on 34th by using Kiva Zip. Kiva Zip is a pilot program, launched by

For more development news, see LEADER LISTINGS, P. 1B

The location may be changing for Pop & Pan but the Colby brothers still have a vision in mind for their new place. (Contributed rendering)

See Pop P. 10A

c u r r e N t p r o p e rt y L i s t i N g s

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activity. The streets will be open for walkers and cyclists, so they can explore and experience some of the city’s terrific neighborhoods in a safe, fun and family-friendly way.” Since 2014, Cigna Sunday Streets has spotlighted Houston’s most unique neighborhoods around the city with a focus on promoting alternative transportation, supporting neighborhood economies and a sense of community. The partystyle event – which draws more

The Harris County Precinct 1 Constable’s Office has been working overtime to catch illegal dumpers at dozens of sites around the city. According to Constable Alan Rosen, more than 100 surveillance cameras now span areas of Houston and Harris County – including near our local area – as the city hopes to make progress in eradicating the growing problem. Through collaborations with the city as well as District H councilwoman Karla Cisneros, Cisneros Rosen said Precinct 1 has made hundreds of arrests and subsequent cases based on footage gathered from illegal dumping sites around Acres Homes, Independence Heights and more. Each in-house created infrared device possesses two cameras – one that remains fixed on the identified dumping site, and another which is motion activated; thus, offenders cannot simply sneak in under the dead of night to commit the act. Once the footage is captured, Precinct 1 passes the video off to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office to pursue charges. Illegal dumping has been an ongoing problem for Harris County and Houston, and especially in Independence Heights, with construction debris, old tires and more littering pockets of the area along with old furniture and more. “What I’m pushing for is to make the offend-

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The public. The Leader • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • Page 2A

Services to Beneﬁt

Police Reports • March 12-18 MARCH 12

Theft 4:14 PM 100-199 W 20TH Theft 6:57 PM 4400-4499 YALE Assault 8:36 PM 800-899 ENID Burglary 1 PM 600-699 E WHITNEY Robbery 10:39 AM 1500-1599 N LOOP W Theft 8:20 PM 1200-1299 CROSSTIMBERS Burglary 6 PM 4600-4699 FISK Burglary 3:50 AM 500-599 W 26TH Theft 4:43 AM 500-599 YALE

MARCH 13

Burglary 10:30 AM 1100-1199 E 16TH Burglary 6 PM 4400-4499 N MAIN Theft 7 PM 500-599 ARLINGTON Theft 4 PM 1800-1899 SHEPHERD Theft 3 PM 1100-1199 THOMPSON Theft 11 AM 4700-4799 AIRLINE

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Assault 10:09 AM 700-799 E 37TH Arrest 12:20 AM 4000-4099 N SHEPHERD Arrest 1:32 AM 600-699 W CROSSTIMBERS Theft 6:00 PM 2000-2099 BEALL Theft 2:47 PM 1200-1299 E 32ND Theft 6:00 PM 2800-2899 WHITE OAK Theft 4 PM 1000-1099 USENER Arrest 10:02 PM 1400-1499 N

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Burglary 8:01 PM 300-399 W 20TH Assault 8:10 PM 4000-4099 RUTLAND Theft 1 PM 1100-1199 W 25TH Burglary 8:07 AM 1900-1999 BONNER Robbery 9:15 AM 600-699 E 19TH Burglary 3:30 AM 800-899 W 17TH Theft 9:50 AM 4000-4099 NORHILL Arrest 11:06 AM W CROSSTIMBERS/YALE

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One person dead in Lazybrook crash From Staff Reports One is dead and mutiple others are in critical condition according to police following a local car crash on T.C. Jester Boulevard early Tuesday morning. According to media reports, Houston Police say one car was driving south on T.C. Jester Boulevard near 11th Street around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday when they apparently lost all control of the vehicle before

winding up in a nearby front yard. As of press time, it remains

to be determined whether alcohol played a role in the early-morning crash.

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The Topics. The Leader • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • Page 4A

Working women deserve recognition I

t will be easy to take this the wrong way – some will take it as arrogant – but please stick with me. Over the past few years, we’ve done some really great things at The Leader. Last week, I received a letter in the mail from a lady who lives in Colorado, but she spends a few months a year in Timbergrove. She wanted us to know that she really enjoys our community newspaper while she’s in town, and she even sent us a contribution. The people who write stories and take photos for our newspaper do an incredible job compiling a report of local news each week that is hardly matched in this community. As I tell our writers as often as I can remember, our goal is to always be relevant to the lives of our readers, and the folks who work with us do a lot of great work for a fraction of the glory. We do a lot more than just write stories here. Over the years, we’ve extended the branches of The Leader to new fields, and we’ve found a fun niche hosting events in this area of Houston. This year, we’ll host our 5th annual Senior Expo, where 500 of our closest friends from neighborhoods near and far eat free food and mingle with local businesses that offer valuable products and services. That’s coming

Jonathan McElvy Publisher

again this fall. And last year, for the first time ever, we hosted a Media Camp for youngsters, designed to teach students about real news – not that fake stuff. We had 40 students attend last year, and in the next couple of weeks, we’ll announce our second camp scheduled for this summer. I could spend the next 400 words telling you about the wonderful work our staff does here, but that’s not really the point. Instead, let me tell you about the single-most proud I’ve ever been at our community newspaper. Last year, right before Mother’s Day, we held a luncheon designed to honor the women in our community who work so hard, both at home and in our businesses, but rarely get the attention they deserve. This was long before the #MeToo movement, and it wasn’t designed be-

cause we felt guilty for past wrongs. Instead, as we looked around the Heights, Oak Forest, Garden Oaks and neighborhoods of North Houston, we felt there was a lack of opportunity to connect all the wonderful women who live and work here. I’m a bit jaded when it comes to this topic. My wife, a partner at a wonderful law firm in Houston, absolutely floors me each and every week. Meghan’s job is tough, and her clients expect the absolute best. But she has very few clients who care what happens when Meghan stops working on a brief at 2 a.m. They don’t know what she does when she has an extra waking hour away from her office. Usually, my wife wakes up long before I do (she apparently needs more dress-up time than I), and before I’ve stumbled my way to a toothbrush, she’s packed our son’s lunch, sent a dozen emails, and gotten clothes ready for both boys. And most days, when Meghan has one of her easy, 11-hour workdays, she bathes our boys, plays with them, and then pulls out a 3-ring binder the size of a small Toyota for another couple of hours of reading. This is not some placating description in hopes of a round of golf this weekend; this is the dedication my wife has to her family first and her

Lynn Ashby Columnist

entrepreneurs, took our collective earnings and bought booze and had a party – really wild parties. All perfectly legal. For some unknown reason, in a campus College Bowl contest, the Rangeroos finished first. Their best category: religion. One issue in the late 1920s or 30s dealt with the UT student body president, Allan Shivers, who was never heard of again. The Ranger ran this: “Allan Shivers gives honest politicians the shivers.” He didn’t like that observation, and had it cut out of all the copies before they hit the stands. I had heard that story, and once looked up the bound archives to see if that really happened, and, sure enough, there was a hole in a page in that issue. The Rangeroos, as the staffers were called, were made up of the wildest, most talented students at UT. Our leader was Hairy Ranger, a cartoon of a fat, drunken cowboy with a bottle of booze in one hand and the other arm around a floozy. Many college humor magazines produced talents we know of today. Conan O’Brien was editor of the Harvard Lampoon, which at its peak spawned a national humor magazine, the National Lampoon, then became a multimedia humor brand with films like “Animal House” and all the Chevy Chase Lampoon movies. The Yale Record, the nation’s oldest college humor magazine (founded in 1872), had a cartoonist and editorin-chief, Garry Trudeau, who writes and draws Doonesbury. Theta 1: “Does your boyfriend have ambitions?” Theta 2: “Yes, ever since he’s been knee high.” After graduation, as a former editor-in-chief, I received a lifetime subscription to the Ranger, which proved to be a short life. As students, we used to poke fun at the UT faculty, administration, the board of regents was always a great target, but mostly at ourselves and our fellow students. However, by the 1960s I could tell there was trouble in Austin. That’s about when other college humor magazines hit their apex. The Ranger was running stories about the true meaning of life by some 19-year-old. The humor gave way to indepth thoughts and lousy fiction. The Texas Ranger, which always made a profit for UT and, we kept saying, underwrote the Daily Texan, died, or rather committed suicide at the age of almost 100. “(UT) President Logan Wilson sure has did a good job here.” His son was a Rangeroo. Today there has been a resurgence of college humor

And it gets better. We have partnered, again, with a non-profit called Mission of Yahweh, and we give them 15% of the proceeds of the event. If you don’t know about the Mission, they’re a faith-based shelter that works to restore the lives of homeless women and their children, and their facility isn’t too far from The Leader office. That’s where you, our readers, come in: We’d really like ladies in our community to consider attending. Whether you have a full-time job at home, or you’re like my wife who balances life at an office and at home, I personally promise you’ll leave this luncheon motivated and excited. Tickets are $50 each, which is hardly anything for the great lunch, the wonderful speaker, the chance you’ll have to meet women just like you, and the donation you’ll make to the Mission of Yahweh. If you’d like more information, please just reach out directly to me at my email address below this column. I’m always proud of our staff at The Leader for the work they do, but there are few events as important to me, both personally and professionally. Email jonathan@theleadernews.com

The reader.

College Humor – sort of Harvey Schmidt has died at the age of 88 in Tomball. No, that should not mean anything to you, although I’m sure it meant a lot to Harvey Schmidt. He was co-author of “The Fantasticks,” the Off-Broadway romance that became the world’s longest-running musical. It opened in 1960 at the Sullivan Street Playhouse in Greenwich Village and ran for 17,162 performances. A revival that began in 2006 ran 4,390 more times. It was “very lucrative.” You may recall a song from that show, “Try to Remember.” In a 50-year partnership with Tom Jones, they wrote the Broadway musicals “110 in the Shade” and “I Do! I Do!” each earning them Tony Award nominations. And to think it all began at The University of Texas with bad jokes. Coroner: “What were your husband’s last words?” New widow: “I don’t see how they can make a profit on this at a dollar and a half a fifth.” That was from the Texas Ranger, not to be confused with the law enforcement agency or a baseball team. It was the school’s humor magazine, which began publication back in the 1890s and was one of many universities’ similar publications. There was the Harvard Lampoon, the Yale Record and the Stanford Chaparral to name a few. The Ranger was published by UT nine times a year (no summer issues) and contained funny articles, cartoons, dumb jokes and the GOM. That was the Girl of the Month, the rather mild – by today’s standards – photos of a good looking co-ed. “Will your wife hit the ceiling when you come in this late?” “Probably. She’s a lousy shot.” I first became attracted to this genre when my older sister would return at Christmas and the summer from Stanford University with a collection of the Stanford Chaparrals. It turns out she was dating, and later married, the editor. The magazines were hilarious, although a lot of it was inside humor that only Stanford students would get. Later, when I attended UT, I learned of the Ranger, and dutifully joined the staff. Well, actually, as a lowly freshman I just sold copies. Each month we would get a bundle or two of the magazines and spread throughout the 40 Acres. Over the years the popularity of the mag grew to the point where we were selling one copy for every two students. We made money this way: We would, in effect, buy a copy from the Texas Student Publications, which was the UT branch that ran the Daily Texan, the Ranger and the yearbook, the Cactus. We bought each copy for 20 cents and sold it for a quarter. We were selling thousands monthly. That way we got funds. The university had a rule that no booze was allowed at school parties, so we, as independent

job second. She is incredible in every sense of the word. Which gets us back to the luncheon we held last year. A local restaurant agreed to host, and we had 50 women from this community attend our inaugural Women @ Work Luncheon. As I stood in the back of the room (I was one of a few guys allowed in), I can’t forget how impressed I was with the ladies who all shared stories just like my wife’s. Our speaker last year told about her balance between work and home, and in that audience, you could see how many of our honored guests were touched to hear from someone who also struggles to find enough hours in the day. This year, we’re hosting that event again, and we’re doing it in conjunction with one of the best community partners an organization could have. Memorial Hermann Greater Heights has agreed to sponsor and host our event on Friday, May 4, from 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. What’s even better is that one of my most favorite leaders in this community, Susan Jadlowski, has agreed to be our event speaker. Susan is the CEO of the hospital, and knowing just a small amount of her history, climbing from a nurse to a CEO, I can promise it will be a luncheon our attendees will remember.

Will HISD finally find a new vision?

publications, more in tune to the Daily Show, Stephen Colbert and The Onion, which started out as a college humor magazine. There are mags at SMU, A&M, the UTs at Arlington and Dallas, and the Travesty at UT-Austin. “The country’s largest student-produced satirical newspaper.” It began in 1997 and today its website is very funny. Like many others, the Travesty is online, and its staff includes video director and video staff. Times have changed. Oh, as for Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, they met when they both wrote for the Texas Ranger. Fiji: “Say, that’s a bad gash on your forehead. What happened?” Beta: “I bit myself.” Fiji: “Oh, come on. How did you bite yourself on your forehead?” Beta: “I stood on a chair.” Ashby jokes at ashby2@comcast.net

Email us your letters: news@theleadernews.com

Dear Editor: Carranza followed the vision of the trustees. The trustees have not primarily focused on students since I’ve been watching HISD (2005). Superintendents have brought 7-13 people with them after hired. Carranza came by himself. This was Carranza’s and the board’s vision and plan from the beginning. It complements the pro-charter and anti-union policies perpetuated by the state and federal governments. Larry

Residents spot odd trimming pattern

clearly a threat. Mary Dear Editor: If they had trimmed all of the limbs away, the complaint would then have been that they didn’t need to trim all of the limbs, just the ones that were a problem. I don’t blame the trimming crew for doing this. Decades of experience have taught the utility companies to use restraint when trimming trees. You can’t put a limb back once it’s gone. And I don’t think the spokesman was being threatening either. Manuel

Dear Editor: Did the spokesperson intend to insult us? That’s

Jonathan McElvy

Built by Lee Burge, Publisher from 1957-1969 Terry Burge, Publisher from 1969-2012

3500 East T.C. Jester Blvd., Suite A P.O. Box 924487 Houston, TX 77292-4487 Phone: (713) 686-8494 Fax (713) 686-0970

Publisher & President jonathan@theleadernews.com

News Deadline: Noon on Mondays Classified Word Ad Deadline: 5 p.m. Tuesday Retail Ad Deadline: Noon on Mondays

Any erroneous statement which may appear in The Leader will be corrected when brought to the attention of the publisher. In the event of errors or ommissions in The Leader advertisements, the publisher does not hold himself liable for damages further than the amount received by him for such advertisements.

the leader Puzzlers. Answers found in this week’s Classified section

SUDOKU

aCrOss

1. Glasgow inhabitant 5. Dangerous tidal bore 10. Prevents harm to creatures 14. Upper class 15. Caused an open infection 16. Styptic 17. Am. Nat’l. Standards Inst. 18. Muse of lyric poetry and mime 19. He fiddled 20. Afrikaans 22. Don’t know when yet 23. Mottled cat 24. 1803 USA purchase 27. Engine additive 30. Reciprocal of a sine 31. __ King Cole, musician 32. Time in the central U.S. 35. Insect pupa sheaths 37. Prefix denoting “in a” 38. Okinawa port city 39. Capital of Pais-deCalais 40. Small amount 41. Fictional elephant 42. Grave 43. 12th month (abbr.) 44. Knights’ garment

45. One point S of due E 46. Lender Sallie ___ 47. Express pleasure 48. Grassland, meadow 49. Vikings state 52. Deck for divination 55. Mountain 56. Cavalry sword 60. Largest known toad species 61. Once more 63. Cavity 64. Paper this tin plate 65. Slang for backward 66. James __, American steam engineer 67. Sea eagles 68. Wooded 69. Expression of annoyance

dOwn

1. Spawn of an oyster 2. Town near Venice 3. Bone (pl.) 4. Pair of harness shafts 5. Midway between E and SE 6. Of a main artery 7. Catches 8. Maintained possession 9. Old Tokyo 10. Yemen capital 11. Commoner 12. Street border

13. Old Xiamen 21. Soul and calypso songs 23. Explosive 25. Put into service 26. Swiss river 27. Territorial division 28. Pulse 29. Hair curling treatments 32. Small group of intriguers 33. Portion 34. Slightly late 36. Taxi 37. Political action committee 38. Grab 40. Between 13 & 19 41. Tai currency 43. Newsman Rather 44. Great school in Mass. 46. Technology school 47. Have a great ambition 49. Groans 50. Fill with high spirits 51. Expressed pleasure 52. Modern London gallery 53. A gelling agent in foods 54. Dilapidation 57. Swine 58. Footwear museum city 59. Respite 61. Creative activity 62. Slight head motion

WORD SCRAMBLE

The Leader • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • Page 5A

Tru-Lite Gas Products offer spring cleaning tips By Christina Martinez Christina@theleadernews.com Tru-Lite Gas & Products has been serving the community since 1999. The gas products and service store is a family business that specializes in Gas Grills, Charcoal and Kamado Grills, Exterior Gas Lights, Gas and Electric Fireplaces, and Gas Logs. The family business prides themselves in the relationships they make with their customers, and they have some Spring Cleaning tips to share. With spring season here in full force, getting a good deep clean in for items that are often neglected or overlooked is of importance. A couple items to start cleaning is your gas grill and outside lighting. “With our customers we stress the importance of getting their gas grills or exterior gas lighting prepared for the yearlong use and elements that our climate bring,” owner Ruben Sanchez said. “The outdoor grill, in particular, is one of the most forgotten things to clean around the house, yet manufactures highly recommend you clean these items yearly, at the very least.” With Tru-Lite Gas, the company offers a cleaning service for both the gas grill and gas lighting. You can schedule a cleaning quarterly, yearly and even bi-yearly. What works for your schedule and budget, Tru-Lite can schedule and handle all of the hard work for you. In between cleanings, Tru-Lite says selfmaintenance throughout the year will do some good to the longevity of your products. “Once you have cooked and food debris is left caked on your cooking grids, a simple extra 3-7 minute burn on medium heat can do wonders to loosening the debris and making it simple to brush off with a non-bristled brush,” Sanchez said. “Another well-missed spring cleaning item is the grease management system on gas grills. Leaving these too over filled results in pest, insects and potential fire hazards for the user.

Contributed photo Tru-Lite Gas Products recommends cleaning your gas products at the mimimum of once a year. You can schedule a cleaning with them and let them do the hard work today.

Give yourself a good cover as well to protect that outer paint or stainless of the grill for easier spring cleaning. Cleaning the glass panes on a gas light is as simple as soaking in the baking soda and warm water and letting the glass sit for a few minutes and then a simple scrub and rinse should yield great results. Simple steps go a long way in giving your appliances the longest life possible.” Tru-Lite also offers online videos of how-to videos for spring cleaning, maintenance and even cooking recipes. For those with heavy work, Tru-Lite can

help. Let’s say you have a grill that hasn’t been touched for two or three years and you are ready to grill this spring and summer season, but you aren’t sure where to start on cleaning. Tru-Lite can offer a full service package for cleaning and troubleshooting. “Many customer would be surprised to just know how much value and life this adds back into that grill of yours,” Sanchez said. “We are there to make the hard work easier for you. This is the same with gas light servicing as well. We service and clean hundreds of lamps per year so that you have that year round beauty of nat-

ural gas burning lamp. People take pride in the things that bring life to their homes and we take pride in helping them achieve this.” In business in the Houston Heights since 1999, Tru-Lite prides themselves in in their family values and translating those values into the quality service they offer customers. From being NFI certified to having five years plus of Angie’s list super service awards, the Tru-Lite family strives to be the best for their customers. With spring season here, Tru-Lite Gas offers an array of gas grills and lighting if you’re looking for something new this season. The Sanchez family highly recommends Kamado cooking through Kamado Joe Grills, which they sell in store. The family grills on the weekend at the store and invites all neighbors to come by to enjoy the day, learn some cooking tips and more. The family’s main must have recommendation is getting outside with the family this spring season and making sure your products are clean and ready to go. Tru-Lite Gas Products is located in the Houston Heights at 1903 Lawrence St. You can visit them online at www.trulitegas.com or call them at (713)-682-2053. This was a paid-for article as a part of The Leader’s advertorial program.

Tru-Lite Gas Products is located at 1903 Lawrence St. Find them online at www. trulitegas.com and at (713)-682-2053

Near Northwest Management District plant sale is April 7 For The Leader The Near Northwest Management District and Treesearch Farms will host the White Oak Plant Sale on Saturday, April 7, 2018, at the White Oak Conference Center – 7603 Antoine Dr., to raise funds for the continuing maintenance of the White Oak Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden-which is located at this same address. The event will kick off at 9 a.m. with a presentation by Heidi Sheesley – owner of Treesearch Farms, and renowned horticulturist. Her entertaining and informative PowerPoint presentation will feature many of the plants that

will be available at the sale. The plant sale begins at 10 a.m. and will go until 2:00 or until the plants sell out – which they normally do! Strolling through the White Oak Butterfly and Hummingbird Garden, which was designed and planted in 2012, is a great way to get ideas for your own yard and see the actual plants in a garden setting. During Heidi’s presentation, you’ll learn all about the different hummingbird and butterfly attracting plants, what they do, where to plant them and how they grow. Also available at the sale, Improved Meyer Lemon Trees and Heirloom Tomatoes. Did you know lemon trees attract butterflies?

Well, just another fun fact you’ll learn at the sale!! Featured plants: Native Purple Coneflower – Echinacea purpurea – a native perennial for that sunny garden. Blooms spring through fall! Pride of Barbados – Caeselpinia pulcherimma – Bright orange and yellow flower spikes adorn it all summer. Loves the heat! Butterflies and hummingbirds love it! Daylily Yellow Landscape Supreme- Hemerocallis sp. ‘Yellow Landscape Supreme’an evergreen, hardy, tough daylily. Stunning yellow flowers! Ducher Rose- Rosa sp. –

The finest white shrub rose for Houston bar none! Fragrant, disease resistant and just down right gorgeous! Blooms nearly year ‘round – even when not blooming the foliage is fabulous. Evergreen!! ‘Coronation Gold’ YarrowAchillea filipendulina-Butterflies? Oh yeah!!! They’ll be all over this perennial – great cut flower, fragrant textured foliage – a unique additional to any garden!! Oakleaf Hydrangea – Hydrangea quercifolia- Got shade? This beautiful large perennial shrub blooms huge white panicles of flowers in the shadier gardens.

Photo courtesy of NNWMD Readers can find flowers such as these at the Near Northwest Management District’s plant sale on April 7.

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Page 6A • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • The Leader

Concrete from P. 1A

Cigna from P. 1A than 20,000 per year between all locations – provides Houstonians with a chance to re-connect with their own neighborhoods and explore other new areas in the city. “Each year we visit six communities– this Spring season we are returning to two amazing areas, including the kick-off event on 19th street in the Heights, on Westheimer Street in Montrose and we’ve added Emancipation Avenue in the Third Ward,” said Susan Christian with the Mayor’s Office of Special Events. “In the fall we will head to three new neighborhoods, including Rice Village, Kingwood and the Near North Side, which along with the Third Ward Spring location is part of Mayor Turner’s Complete Communities Initiative.” From shops such as The Lift and the Blue Whale, to historic Carter and Cooley, newly established Urban Float and so much more, attendees from around Houston will be treated to an eclectic collection of Heights History while getting the blood flowing. To be set along the Heights’ Main Street between Heights Boulevard

and North Shepherd, Sunday’s proceedings shouldn’t disappoint. “I think it’s great for getting the community out, and especially getting people not from [the Heights] up here. It’s pretty cool the city is spotlighting various parts of the town and showing off what they have to offer while getting people out and about,” Urban Float coowner Ben Lancaster said. “As a business owner it potentially brings new traffic to us, but I just think it’s awesome the city is promoting a healthy lifestyle and getting people moving around the city.” And it certainly does not hurt that Cigna Sunday Streets’ intended purpose jives with Urban Float’s focus on a healthy lifestyle. With floats lasting just an hour, walkers and movers can schedule a float early in the day before walking right out the door to continue the 19th Street party. Cigna will also have a booth along the route that will host several family-friendly activities such as air-brush tattoos, a chance to play a wellness-themed version of the Plinko, and dance exercises. “We’ve been to the Heights pre-

viously and it’s been a very popular venue for Cigna Sunday Streets, which is why we decided to kick off the fifth year with the Heights,” said Paula McHam, Cigna’s lead for community engagement “[The city] is so big, we don’t often venture out of our bubbles into different areas, just because it’s hard – so if you have an enjoyable day to just walk around do all these different things, it’s really cool,” Lancaster added. Cigna Sunday Streets is modeled on other events from around the world including Ciclovía in Bogotá, Colombia and the Paris Plage in France. Sunday Streets originated in Bogotá, Colombia as “Ciclovía,” a day of free, healthy activities that promote community in public streets. And more than three decades later, the concept has spread around the world from Tokyo, Japan to Kiev, Ukraine and throughout U.S. Cities that include San Francisco, Portland, St. Louis, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Minneapolis, and Houston since 2014.

what’s in that debris,” Rosen said. “It certainly impacts property values, because nobody wants to live next to that. Cisneros said debris also blocks drainage in certain areas – and knows Houstonians know that problem all too well. And dumping simply exacerbates the problem.

hit home, Rosen said Precinct 1 is always on the call. The Precinct’s environmental unit has a wall of monitors to keep an eye on the hot spots and protect the burgeoning neighborhoods. “Neighborhoods like Acres Homes and Independence Heights are going through a renaissance,” he said. “There’s rebuilding and all sorts of great things happening here, and the last thing they need is someone who derogates the area by throwing waste and trash.” Cameras at dumping sites have also been instrumental in catching other crimes on camera. Just last year, cameras caught an adult beating a child over 60 times in The Leader area. In another incident, investigators spotted someone dumping marijuana at a site – which led to a $1.7 million drug bust. Any individual caught illegally dumping will face fines that can reach thousands of dollars. To report illegal dumping sites in a local area, residents can call 832-9271567 or email environmental@ cn1.hctx.net.

Dumping from P. 1A ers return to the dumping site and clean up what they dumped…Usually, people dump within three to five miles of where they live,” Rosen said. “Out here in Independence Heights, people see illegal debris already dumped, and figure it’s alright to just dump their trash. But it’s not.” What’s puzzling, Cisneros said, is that Independence Heights possesses its very own – legal – waste dumping facility within its boundaries that for whatever reason, is not always properly utilized. “If there’s a line or something [at the plant], or its inconvenient, people just think ‘oh, this is close enough’ and leave it right there in the neighborhood. It’s a big problem,” she said. “When you’re driving home and see all that trash, it’s just depressing.” Along with simply being a public nuisance and eyesore, trash and debris build-up can also potentially develop into major health hazards for nearby property owners, and even passersby. “It’s really a quality of life issue. You’ve got kids [here] playing around debris – and we don’t know

Signs of progress Additionally, Precinct 1 and District H are soon partnering to fund seven new cameras that will focus on newly-found hot spots around their area, since sites typically shift based on which ones have been cleaned up. Officials said the cameras are moved based on volume of complaints within a certain neighborhood. “We’ve identified new spots based on the volume of calls we get – there are a lot of spots, and [dumpers] move them around,” Cisneros said. Ultimately, Rosen said, staunching illegal dumping depends on two facets – education and enforcement. And if education on nearby legal dumping sites and timing of heavy trash day do not

this being a bad idea.” Operations like the one Soto Ready Mix has applied for are given license by the state to operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and, by the city, to locate in residential areas. And the multimillion dollar industry, fueled by Houston’s booming growth, enables much of the spread, from homes and churches to the roads we drive. Multiple attempts to reach Soto Ready Mix for comment were unsuccessful. “Concrete is the fundamental material that goes into many elements of our communities,” said David Perkins with the Texas Aggregates and Concrete Association. “Normally what happens is that there’s a need for the product which incentivizes the need to build one of these facilities.” That doesn’t matter to Kerns and her neighbors. Coupled with constant noise, residents and environmental activists worry about air pollution – from potential dust in the air from the dirt, gravel, sand, and concrete mix being transported – especially because the site backs up nearly against the public Highland Park. “Everybody’s trying so hard to make that neighborhood safer and more liveable,” said another neighbor – wishing to remain anonymous – who lives one mile from the site. “I can’t imagine that’s going to bring in more people who want to do more with that property in this area.” Activists have previously urged the TCEQ to take a deeper look at the plants’ cumulative impact on neighborhoods. “They have concrete trucks coming in and out – and if they’re running 24/7, then that’s 24/7 noise and nuisance,” Susan Grimes said. Grimes recently penned a letter to Mayor Sylvester Turner, urging him to take a stand against the proposed plant, which a TCEQ spokesperson confirmed has been taken under consideration. “There are some gorgeous homes being built around there – If I were a resident, I wouldn’t be interested [in something like this going up],” she said. Perkins, with TACA, said delivery radius for a typical plant is small, given the typical one-to-two-hour shelf life for concrete once it has been mixed – it can only travel so far to maintain usability. Several factors, such as traffic and delivery market, he said, can impact where a plant applies for construction. However, some say the plants can be a nuisance for people who live next to them, and they tend to cluster in working-class residential areas – such as along Flintlock Road, Tanner Road

and other areas in Houston. Better Solution? “We need concrete production to support our growth as a city and a community, but more care needs to be exercised on where permanent plants can be placed,” resident Justin Schrader said. “The location of this plant is in a neighborhood seeing a resurgence. It is practically on White Oak Bayou, and across from a local community park, multiple churches and a school. There are also senior care facilities. All these places and people deserve protection from the potential harm and discomfort this may bring to the area.” However, Perkins said that the receipt of an Air Quality Permit, by its very nature and criteria required to be met, would mean the TCEQ had affirmed a company’s ability to mitigate the overall impact. Requirements for operating sites, Perkins said, are that there be no visible emissions coming from the property – to be monitored through fabric-filter baghouses that filter out excess particulates prior to exhaustion. Additionally, stockpiles maintained on site must be saturated with water to prevent fugitive emissions blowing off-site, while roads within the plant must be paved or have alternative dust-suppression materials applied on a regular basis. “[The TCEQ] have standards every operator must meet for them to be able to make their product,” Perkins said. “As long as [operators] are maintaining the permit requirements, there should be no egregious off-site impact.” Additionally, some residents like Donna Williams, who lives nearby, allege they have spotted cement trucks entering and exiting the property for a couple of years now despite the lack of a permit. “There’s something constantly burning or blowing over and some kind of matter that settles on our plants,” Williams said, “We can feel the vibration of the trucks sitting in our house.” TCEQ said Soto is not permitted to operate while the application is under consideration; however, some permitted sites may be adjacent to a proposed site and in need of the services, potentially explaining the activity. Three mixing companies reside within a fivemile radius of the Desoto site. A public meeting regarding the site and Soto Ready Mix’s application is scheduled for March 26 at 6 p.m. at the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center. “I believe at the end of the day, this project is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and the most important thing community residents can do is voice their opinion,” Schrader said.

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The Leader • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • Page 7A

The calendar. BOOK SIGNING The Book Scene Author Maxwell Ivey Jr., will be signing his books Saturday, March 24, from 1-3 p.m. at The Book Scene, 1820 W.43rd. There will be refreshments and prizes. Information: 713-869-6117. EASTER EGG HUNT Shepherd Forest Civic Club The Shepherd Forest Civic Club Annual Easter Egg Hunt will be 10 a.m. Saturday, March 24. The event will be held at Stonecrest Park. All Shepherd Forest residents and their children are welcome and encouraged to attend this special family event. Children participating in the egg hunt are divided into groups by age and a separate egg hunt area will be available for babies/young toddlers. Every participant wins a prize. The Easter Bunny will greet children and pose for pictures, so bring a camera, along with a lawn chair and an Easter basket. Refreshments will be served. Information: 713-416-1888. GOODWILL DRIVE Waltrip Band Do some spring cleaning and

help the Waltrip Ram Band too! They will have a Goodwill Drive and collect items from 8-11 a.m. March 24. The students will be on hand to unload cars and issue tax receipts. Information: 713-5450892. GUMBO COOK-OFF American Legion Post 560 Auxiliary Unit 560 will hold a Gumbo Cook-off from noon, March 24, at the American Legion Post 560, 3720 Alba. Categories will be: Chefs Choice, ribs, chicken, gumbo. Drinks open and kids open. Pulled pork sandwiches with chips will be sold for $5. The entertainment will be Lucas MacLane. The Legion is seeking participants for the cookoff. Proceeds go towards Veterans programs. Information: 713-682-9287. SPRING/EASTER FESTIVAL Northwest Educational Center The community is welcome to attend Northwest Educational Center’s Spring/Easter Festival from 1-4 p.m. March 24. Free admission. There will be food, games, photos with the Easter bunny, door prizes/raffles, music,

petting zoo, Easter egg hunts, and more. The campus is located at 2910 Antoine Dr., Suite B, 77092. Information: 713-6802929. SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE SPINSTERS OF BLACKMEAD Theatre Suburbia Theatre Suburbia presents the regional premiere of C. P. Stancich’s Sherlock Holmes and the Spinsters of Blackmead, an exciting new look at Sherlock, his compatriots and all with a twist. The show is 8:30 p.m. March 24, at Theatre Suburbia, 4106 Way Out West. Reservations are encouraged. Tickets are $16 Adults, $13 Students and Seniors, and $13 Sunday Matinees. Information: theatresuburbia.org, 713-682-3525. THE LEMON CLIMB HOUSTON Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Join Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for the inaugural Lemon Climb March 24 at 8:30 a.m. to climb the stairs of the tallest building in Texas! Challenge yourself to walk, run, or race up 35, 60, or all 75 flights of stairs

to the top of Chase Tower at 600 Travis. The climb can be completed individually or climbers can create a team. Participants must raise a minimum of $100–which funds two hours of childhood cancer research. All participants will receive a limited edition Lemon Climb t-shirt. Information: www.LemonClimb.org. FAMILY FUN FITNESS DAY Playground for All Abilities Join Friends of Oak Forest Park and training partners for an afternoon of fitness and sports for all ages from 3-5 p.m. March 25. Activity stations include group workouts, youth sports, Family Fun Run and Roll (4 p.m. start), tennis drills, Fun Zone lawn games, healthy snacks and more. All fitness levels are welcome. The event benefits the Playground for All Abilities. Oak Forest Park is located at 2100 Judiway. Early bird registration runs through March 20. Information: 832-771-8030, houstonparksboard.org/events/ fitness_day/. REGISTRATION FOR ZONED STUDENTS Oak Forest Elementary

Calling all Kindergarteners! Oak Forest Elementary will hold registration for zoned students for the 2018-2019 school year, from 9 a.m.-noon and 4:30-6:30 p.m. March 26-March 28. For information on what to bring, visit the OFE website or call 713613-2536. WILLIAM ARCHER GUEST SPEAKER Heritage Republican Women William Archer will be speaking on Estate Planning and Probate. The presentation will include: overview of the probate system, what to do when a loved one passes, what to consider in your estate plan, requirements to probate a will, and avoiding probate. The meeting will be held at Candlelight Church of Christ, 4215 Watonga, at 7 p.m. April 5. Light refreshments will be served. Men are also welcome to attend. Information: 713-682-0496.

Mary Covington, Program Director for the STAR (Success Through Addiction Recovery) Drug Court Program. The event will be from 5-7 p.m. April 7, at the West University Community Center, 6104 Auden St. Information: 713468-3749. 8TH GRADE BARBECUE Frank Black Middle School The Frank Black Middle School eighth-graders will hold their third annual barbecue from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 7. Proceeds benefit the class for their end of year activities. Eat in (cafeteria) or drive thru is available. The cost $10 for a barbecue plate (includes BBQ chicken leg quarter, rice, BBQ beans, bread, condiments). $2 raffle tickets will be sold for a 40” flat screen TV. The school is located at 1575 Chantilly Ln. Information: 713-613-2505.

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From the Pews. Easter Egg Hunt at St. Stephen’s An Easter Egg Hunt open to the community will be held at 3 p.m. March 24, at Oak Forest Park, 2100 Judiway. Bring a basket! All are welcome to attend Holy Week services. A Maundy Thursday Communion service will be held at 7 p.m. March 29. On Good Friday, 7 p.m. March 30, a music-filled Tenebrae service will be held. Services on Easter Sunday, April 1, will include a sunrise service at 7 a.m., a Praise Celebration at 8:30 a.m. and traditional worship at 11 a.m. Sunday School classes for all ages will be held at 9:40 a.m. St. Stephen’s United Methodist Church is located at 2003 W. 43rd St. For information, call 713-686-8241 or visit www. stsumc.org and the church’s Facebook page.

who are called and sent. The evening will feature live performances by New Heights Christian Academy’s STARLETS Dance Team, Kist by Grace, Garden Oaks Baptist Church’s children’s church and more. Only 100 tickets are available, so act fast. Free childcare is provided for children up to 5th grade. Tickets can be purchased by calling Faith Conner at 713724-8638.

Hope Lives at Garden Oaks Baptist this Saturday night Come experience a night of food and entertainment at Garden Oaks Baptist Church, 3206 N Shepherd Dr. Tickets are $10 each with all proceeds going directly to GoSendMe Global, an organization dedicated to furthering the mission and vision of Christians

All Saints TALC features Movie Night All Saints Third Age Learning Center will be closing on Thursday and Friday, March 29 and March 30, in observance of Holy Thursday and Good Friday. A movie day will be April 6, and will feature the WWII drama, “The Darkest Hour” starring academy award winner Gary Oldman as Winston

‘Be Encouraged’ event at First Church Heights First Church Heights, 201 E. 9th St., will hold a “Be Encouraged” event from 6:30-7:45 p.m. in the Worship center, with fellowship from 7:45-8:30 p.m. in the church fellowship hall. Call 713-861-3102 for information.

Churchill. The movie begins at 10 a.m. and lemonade and popcorn will be furnished. TALC will host a Spring Party at 10:30 a.m. April 13, featuring a spring hat contest, refreshments, door prizes and music by the Strummin’ Saints Ukulele Band. All Saints Catholic Community is located at 215 E. 10th St. For information and lunch reservations, call 713-2481277. All Saints Knights of Columbus and Guadalupanas hold Lenten Fish Frys The All Saints Knights of Columbus council will host their Lenten Fish Fry in the parish hall from 3-8 p.m. Good Friday, March 30. The Guadalupanas will hold their Fish Fry from 4:30-7 p.m. March 23. Plates include fish, hushpuppies, fries, slaw, green beans, sauces, and tea/lemonade. Adult plates are $10 and children under 10 are $5. Cookies will also be available. All Saints Catholic Community is located at 215 E. 10th St. Call 713-304-1626 for information. Senior Time Event at First Church Heights Senior Time Event is held

the last Tuesday of every month in the fellowship hall. Come and visit with other seniors and listen to interesting guest speakers and enjoy breakfast from 10:30-11:30 a.m. March 27. This month’s guest speaker is Moiya PressJackson, Dispute Resolution Center and she will discuss “Managing Conflict with Style.” First Church Heights is located at 201 E. 9th St. Call 713-861-3102 or email fbcheights@fbcheights.com for information. Family friendly rugby at St. Pius X Kubiak Stadium Arrows RFC, Houston’s Catholic Men’s Rugby Club, welcomes the community to enjoy an evening of family-friendly Rugby. On Easter Monday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m., high school boys from Strake Jesuit, St. Pius X, and St. Thomas will unite as the Arrows Schoolboys to host their brothers from Fordham Prep, a Jesuit school of the Bronx, NY. Join us at Kubiak Stadium (at St. Pius X High School) for this free, fun-filled evening that includes two rugby matches and a dinner social to follow. The match will be held at St. Pius X High School Kubiak Stadium, 811 W. Donovan St. For information, visit www.

Maundy Thursday service at St. Matthew’s Come to the 6 p.m. Wednesday Lenten meals and short lessons, leading up to Easter. A free, simple meal will be served, followed by a few songs of praise and short Lenten lessons. Come, enjoy, and receive a blessing. A Maundy Thursday service will be available to the community March 29, 7 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. Friday Tenebrae Service. St. Matthew’s United Methodist Church is located at 4300 N. Shepherd Dr. Call 713-6970671 or visit the Facebook page or the website at www. stmatthewsmethodist.org.

Nadine Sophie Mabry, 94, born March 21, 1923 in Sealy, died March 12. She is survived by her sons Wilson David Mabry, Dale Wayne Mabry, sister Iris Joy Peek and brother

Charles Leon McNeese, 86, born April

10, 1931, died March 13.

Mary Ruth Swinney, 78, born Oct. 10, 1939 in Clarksville, Texas, died March 11. Swinney graduated from Davis High school and then spent a long career and ultimately retired with the Shell Oil Corporation in Houston. Mary is survived by her son David Lee Pettus, sister Shirley Jean Cato, stepson Alton

Bobby Wayne Wilkinson, 69, born Jan. 7, 1949 in San Antonio, died March 13.

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1944, died March 11. She is survived by her brothers Alfonso Hernandez, Hector Hernandez, David Hernandez, sisters Mary Helen Tristan, Yolanda Tristan and Josie Vela.

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The Obituaries. Secundina Gonzalez, 89, born July 1, 1928 in Elgin, Texas, died March 11. She is survived by her daughters Maria Elena, Delia Gonzales, Lucia Rodriguez, sons Anthony Gonzalez, and sisters Bacilia Hernandez and Natalia Ureste.

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Dr. John W. Neesley - Senior Pastor

713-864-1470

St. James Lutheran Church, ELCA MANNA Sponsor

• Worship (English)..... 10:00 am - 11:00am • Learning Hour........... 11:00am - 12:00pm • Worship (Spanish) .... 12:30 pm - 1:30pm

1602 West 43rd St. • Houston, Tx 77018 • 713-686-1577

his Sunday is known as Palm Sunday. This was one week before Jesus arose from the grave. It is fascinating to think that one day Jesus was coming into the city and the people were cheering and praising Him as the King of Israel, and just a week later they had crucified him. How could this change come about so rapidly? The reality is that the religious leaders of that day hated Jesus because he was a threat to their leadership and power. He was the Son of God and he taught the people truth with authority because He was God. The religious leaders, while they claimed to teach truth, had twisted the truth to make it something that they could use to wield power over the people. God’s truth, while God compares it to a sword, is not for me to use to subjugate other people. Rather, the truth of God’s Word brings freedom to all who will believe. We should all worship Jesus Christ as our King. He is our Creator and he is also our Savior. It is through his death, burial, and resurrection that we can have eternal life. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were looking for answers in religion and good works. Good morals won’t cause God to be pleased with you because there aren’t enough good works that we can do to pay for the times we have broken God’s law. Our only hope is in King Jesus. I hope as you contemplate what Jesus did for you that you will praise Him this Palm Sunday. If you are looking for a place to worship you are invited to join us this week.

Page 8A • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • The Leader

Getting the ‘scoop’ on litter box issues of litter boxes, changes in the environment inside or outside the house, and undiagnosed medical conditions. First Stop: A Visit To The Vet The very first course of action to remedy this potty problem is to visit your vet. Several medical conditions may result in a cat not using the litter box, so you’ll want to rule these out before looking at other potential causes. The good news is that most medical conditions that cause lapses in litter box use can typically be easily and inexpensively remedied. Declawed Cats Can Be Litter Box Averse Another thing to consider is if your cat is declawed. Declawed cats very often develop an aversion to the litter box because their paws remain sensitive or painful from the surgery, so they avoid scratching in their litter and may begin eliminating around the house instead. Look for products such as aspen or pine wood shavings (com-

Dear Tabby, Our cat has taken to peeing in our bathtub instead of in her litter box. While (admittedly) the bathtub is a very reasonable place in regards to cleaning up wayward cat pee, we want to nip this habit in the bud before she picks a new, less-easily cleaned location. Any thoughts on why she’s suddenly developed this weird habit? Litter Box Confusion in Lazybrook Dear Litter Box Confusion, According to vets, cats can stop using the litter box for a variety of reasons. Most commonly, cats are dissatisfied with the placement or number

monly used for guinea pigs or mice) or soft paper litter such as Yesterday’s News. Shredded paper is another option for you to try. Litter Box Maintenance is Key If you’ve addressed the above issues and come up empty, maybe it’s time to turn your focus to the litter box itself. Vets recommend that you have at least one litter box per cat in the house. Cats can be particular about the placement of their loo as well. A quiet place without loud noises and distractions is ideal. Also, sometimes just a thorough cleaning of the box does the trick. Cats have a highly sensitive sense of smell and can be offended by a litter box that might seem perfectly clean to you. And one last thing: some cats prefer to urinate and defecate in separate litter boxes, so if she’s only peeing in the bathtub but still pooping in the litterbox, it could be that adding a second litter box will fix the problem.

Pet of the Week

If your cat is consistently going to the bathroom on soft surfaces (carpets, clothing or towels), use a similar item in the litter box. To further encourage use of the box, include some of your cat’s feces or urine and then remove it the next time the box is cleaned. Once use of the box is consistent, try adding a little clay litter with the fabric pieces, then slowly remove the carpet or fabric pieces as your kitty gets used to the new litter. The good news is that cats’ natural instinct is to cover their waste and a clean, properly placed litterbox is the ideal place for an indoor cat to do what they’re meant to do. Chances are, your cat wants to resume using the litter box as much as you want her to. With a little work and possibly a trip to the vet, you and your fluffernutter should be back on track in the litterbox department soon. Do you have a question for Tabby? If so, email her at deartabbyquestions@gmail.com

Meet Abby This Black Lab/Staffordshire mix was recently found as a stray and brought to the shelter. Despite having a sweet, loving disposition and her ability to get along with other dogs and children, Abby is continually passed over at the shelter. You see, being an all black dog doesn’t work in a shelter dog’s favor and sweet Abby is ready for someone to see beyond her (shiny and beautiful) coat to the kind soul inside. To learn more, go to www.cap4pets.org

Neighbors: Stevens sewing class students donate 65 surgical caps By Elizabeth Villarreal

bright colors and fabric prints. On Nov. 7, Kostelecky began teaching the students the basics of sewing by hand and with a sewing machine, and the students learned to thread the machines, fill the bobbin, sew straight lines, pivot, backstitch, and pack and unpack the machines, in addition to learning and practicing decorative stitches. Since that time, the students have completed an admirable variety of projects including an embroidery hoop clock, reading pillow, a fleece blanket, monogrammed pillowcases, beautiful drawstring tote bags (that description does not do the finished product justice!), Christmas ornaments and stockings, bookmarks and their next project was to have been donut pillows, but the

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Fifth graders Andrea Maa, Valeria Trujillo and Arlen Bernal along with fourth graders Luis Vallejo and Juliana Espericueta have thoroughly enjoyed their experience in Lulu M. Stevens Elementary School’s Sewing Club this year under the tutelage of our Garden Oaks neighbor, Susan Kostelecky. The students have learned many things this school year, but their most exciting moment to date was donating 65 beautiful, handmade surgical caps for pediatric surgical patients to LBJ Hospital’s operating room. The pediatric patients will be allowed to choose a cap to wear during their surgery from a variety of

Top row, left to right, Andrea Mac, Arlen Bernal, Valeria Trujillo, Susan Kostelecky; bottom row, left to right, Juliana Espericueta and Luis Vallejo.

Club was approved to create and provide surgical caps for pediatric surgery patients. After viewing a video about the surgical cap project, the students were ready! Using cheerful, colorful fabrics, the students learned to sew on a curve and thread elastic into fabric casing. Kostelecky shared that she was afraid

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the students wouldn’t like the repetition of making so many caps and might find sewing around curves challenging, but they were determined and instead, she said, the students competed with one another. Some comments heard from the class regarding elastic, “Putting the elastic in the casing is relaxing”; “I’m going to

make FOUR today! (she did)”; “Ouch! I poked myself! I’m gonna need one of these surgical caps!”; “Once you get used to sewing around a curve, this seems easy”; and “Mrs. Susan, do you like slime?” In four short weeks, the students have completed 65 surgical caps and have more coming! On Tuesday, March 20, Jennifer Buck from Harris Health System came to Stevens to collect the surgical caps and to thank the students for their contribution, explaining the purpose of the caps. The students were very excited to hand over the bags of caps and yet, they kept on sewing and continued making caps throughout the afternoon and while being interviewed. Valeria Trujillo and Arlen

Bernal said about making the caps, “It’s gotten easier over time, but at first it was tricky.” The girls plan to make their own clothes as well as dog clothes, too. Juliana Espericueta said she’s been planning to make clothes for her dog, Maui. Luis Vallejo really loves fedora hats and owns seven fedoras himself. He would like to learn to make fedoras in the future. Vallejo shared he is a member of Student Council, EiE (Engineering in Elementaries), the Sewing Club and the Cooking Club. Andrea Maa looks forward to making her own clothes eventually and said she is excited as well as just a little bit nervous about attending Frank Black Middle School next year.

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Come in for one of our homemade casseroles • Lasagna • Meatballs • Chicken Spaghetti • King Ranch Casserole • Chicken Pot Pie • Chicken Salad • Quiches • Gumbos & Chowders • Eggplant Parmasean • Beef Enchilada Casserole • Desserts • Italian Sausage

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The Leader â€˘ Saturday, March 24, 2018 â€˘ Page 9A

ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

Art Valet: Artist reaches new heights after art festival

Sushi making class 1 p.m. â€“ 2 p.m. Saturday. March 24 KA Sushi â€“ 1901 N. Shepherd Dr. #1 This event is perfect for Houston foodies interested in learning how to make sushi hands on. Peter Hu, KA Sushiâ€™s own Sushi Chef, will be instructing the class on how to create their best selling and classic sushi rolls, including: Maki Roll, Hand Roll, and Nigiri Sushi. In the two-hour class you will learn how to choose the freshest ingredients and step by step techniques to make the prefect sushi. Youâ€™ll leave with a better understanding of traditional Japanese culture and the art of creating your favorite rolls at home. Complementary sake will be served.

Painting with cats 11 a.m. â€“ 12:45 p.m. Sunday, March 25 El Gato Coffeehouse Cat CafĂŠ What better way to spend a lazy afternoon than painting with cats! At El Gato youâ€™ll practice your painting skills by drawing whimsical cats, painting or coloring, and doodling all while having a kitty by your side. All materials and instructions will be supplied. After the session is over youâ€™ll take your work of art home with you, so you can proudly hang it on the wall. Adult craft passes are $38, student craft passes are $36, and kids craft passes are $34 (5-17 years old.) Remember children 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult.

Carpocalypse in the Heights 12 p.m. â€“ 4 p.m. Saturday, March 24 411 W. 20th St. Join the fun at the third annual Carpocalypse, the craziest, most unique car and motorcycle show! Trophy classes will include: bikes, rat rods, trucks, tuners, super cars, classics, and more. This is a family and pet friendly event with music, vendors, moonwalks, food trucks, beer and entertainment all day. Plus, it is free for spectators! The music line-up: Kross Patrick Drums, The Texas Mod Crushers, and The Flaminâ€™ Hellcats.

Raising backyard poultry 1 p.m. â€“ 2 p.m. Saturday, March 24 Wabash Feed â€“ 4537 N. Shepherd Interested in keeping chickens? Learn the basics this Saturday with a lecture given by John from Wabash Feed. Learn about all the benefits of keeping your own chickens, plus thereâ€™s nothing better than fresh eggs in the morning. The basics will include proper food, the best shelter, how to care for them, and what chicken is right for you and your family. At the end of the lecture there will be a question and answer portion.

for Everest. After more than 25 years, it also will be my last expedition of this kind, both with respect to altitude and duration (it will take about 60 days).â€? â€œWe have been planning this one for the last three years, and my wife Katrina will be hiking with me up to Everest Base camp before returning back home. There will still be plenty of other places to go to in the future. After all, there is the saying that there are old climbers, and there are bold climbers, just not many old, bold climbers.â€?

Mitch Cohen Art Columnist

Wandering the aisles at First Saturday Arts Market, I love to ask the artists what else they do either for a living or recreation? The answers are sometimes stunning. Examples: political science professors, NASA Space Station operations, marathoners, pilots, FAA investigator and today, we meet master carpenter and mountain climber, Heiko Weiner. Weiner, a Pasadena resident, specializes in turned bowls. He has succeeded in developing his own, distinctive style. He combines wood with other natural materials, such as essential oils, semiprecious stones, bone, and metal. He enjoys the challenge of applying various precise techniques required for this type of work. Weiner travels the country to fine art shows and will be a featured artist at the Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park this weekend. Following that he plans to climb 27,940 ft., to the summit of the 4th highest mountain in the world. Weiner has been climbing for more than 25 years. Heâ€™s been on mountains in Europe, North and South America, Alaska, and the Himalayas. He tells me that reaching the top of Mt. Everest in 2011 was definitely one of the highlights. â€œI do like those mountains that have something special about them,â€? Weiner said. â€œSometimes the particular location, more than the actual height. All in all, I have been above 20,000 ft for 11 times now, and this yearâ€™s climb will

Weiner promises a Facebook page and website to follow along on his journey. Iâ€™ll post those when theyâ€™re up. Meet Weiner at his booth #806 this weekend at Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park - details and park and ride info at www.bayoucityartfestival.com and follow Heiko Weinerâ€™s website at www.hwrwood.com.

Cohen is an artist and founder of First Saturday Arts Market and the new Market at Sawyer Yards, find him at ArtValet. com.

Fuego Food Truck Mexican & Honduran Food SpecialtieS â€˘ tacoS â€˘ papuSaS â€˘ BaleadaS Truck

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Cavatoreâ€™s Featured artist Heiko Weiner at the summit of Huayna Potosi, 19,974 ft. Catch him this weekend at Bayou City Art Festival Memorial Park.

definitely be a special one, in more than one way.â€? What kind of physical preparation is involved? â€œPreparing for these kind of endeavors does take time and effort. For several years now Iâ€™ve been using a combination of cross-fit and endurance training, working up to two to three hours or longer at a time, the specifics are depending on the actual mountain,â€? he said. â€œPreparing for alpine climbing is a bit like preparing

for a decathlon with respect to the many different aspects that this form of climbing requires.â€? Tell me about your next climb? â€œI will be returning to the Himalayas for one more climb, Mt. Lhotse, which is located next to Mt. Everest. I did look at it back in 2011 on the way down from Everest,â€? Weiner said. â€œThis one is a bit more difficult, but most of the route is actually the same as

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Wildflower hike 8:45 a.m. â€“ 10:30 a.m. Sunday, March 25 T. C. Jester Park â€“ 4205 T. C. Jester Blvd. Begin your morning by enjoying the beautiful local wildflowers. In 2007, the Annual Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Planting Tribute began with a mass of wildflowers being planted. Now they are once again in bloom. Join the hike and check out all the amazing flowers along the banks of White Oak. The meeting place will be next to White Oak Bayou and the trail. Look for the white and green BCO signs!

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Page 10A • Saturday, March 24, 2018 • The Leader

Businesses must report taxable property by April 2 For The Leader If you own a business and have tangible personal property used to produce income such as office equipment or inventory, you must report that property to the Harris County Appraisal District (HCAD) by April 2. The deadline to file a rendition is usually April 1, but because that date falls on a Sunday this year, the deadline is extended until Monday, April 2. HCAD is reminding all business owners that they must report personal property to the appraisal district by filing a rendition listing the property. Personal property is tangible property that can be owned, but it does not include land or other structures attached to the land such as buildings or fences. Examples of personal property include computers, desks, chairs, office supplies, business inventory, machinery and vehicles used to produce income, along with other items

used in the business. A rendition is a report that lists all the taxable property the business owner owned or controlled on January 1 of this year. Owners do not have to render exempt property, such as church property with an approved religious exemption or an agriculture producer’s equipment used for farming. Some renditions may be filed electronically using HCAD’s iFileTM system. If a unique iFileTM number is printed on the rendition form below the account number, the owner may render online by going to www.hcad.org and clicking “iFile A Rendition.” If no iFileTM number is printed on the rendition form, the owner will need to complete and file the form manually. “The appraisal district may use the information submitted in the rendition to set business property values,” said Roland Altinger, chief appraiser. If a rendition is not filed, filed late or not complete, a

10 percent penalty may be imposed. Filing a fraudulent rendition carries a 50 percent penalty if found guilty. Property owners who need more time to file their renditions may file a written request with the chief appraiser on or before April 2 to receive an automatic extension to May 1. The chief appraiser may also grant an additional 15 days after the postponed deadline, for good cause. The appraisal district has already mailed personal property rendition forms to businesses known to have been operating in Harris County during 2017. However, all business owners are required to file renditions whether or not they have received notification. A rendition form is available on the appraisal district’s website at www.hcad.org under the “Forms” tab along with information on the rules of the process. For more information about rendering property, deadline

County announces 2018 tax workshops For The Leader Ann Harris Bennett, Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar is pleased to announce that the Harris County Tax Office will continue its partnership with the Harris County Appraisal District on 2018 Property Tax Workshops for Harris County residents. The 2018 Property Tax Workshop Series are geared toward educating property

owners on property tax, the property tax appraisal and appeal process, understanding their property tax bill, exemptions and taxing entities. “We thank HCAD, the City of Houston and the County Commissioner’s for the continued support as we work to educate and empower Harris County homeowners,” said Bennett. If a homeowner has a tax bill question they call the Tax Assessor-Collector at 713-

274-8000 or email them at tax. office@hctx.net. If you would like to view the entire workshop listings, you can go to their website. The Harris County Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office Property Tax Division maintains more than 1.6 million tax accounts and collects property taxes for 73 taxing entities including Harris County. The Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office collects more than $6 billion in property taxes.

nancing program when he attended The Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston. For Panini & Provisions, they raised $5,000. For Pop & Pan, they hope to use the Kiva platform to raise $25,000. “Our Kiva Zip crowd funding launches the first week of April,” said Colby, who noted that Facebook followers would get updates and offers. “Every donation is rewarded

with a Pop & Pan membership card that gets you discounts on food and popcorn.” The membership card also qualifies the holder for special deals and offers not allotted to other customers. Colby says he is excited about the new venture and what lies ahead. “We get messages every day from people asking about [our plans],” he said.

Pop from P. 1A Kiva.org, to drive innovations in person-to-person lending. They provide zero percent interest loans for small businesses and entrepreneurs. These loans are ‘crowd-funded’ by individual lenders on the Kiva Zip website, connecting entrepreneurs with dozens of lenders who can be potential brand ambassadors and customers to their business. Colby said his brother Alex learned about the microfi-

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extensions, penalties and rendition forms, taxpayers may call the appraisal district’s Information Center at 713-9577800. About HCAD The Harris County Appraisal District is a political subdivision of the State of Texas established in 1980 for the purpose of discovering and appraising property for ad valorem tax purposes for each taxing unit within the boundaries of the district. The district has more than 1.8 million parcels of property to assess each year with a total market value of approximately $575 billion. The appraisal district in Harris County is the largest in Texas, serving approximately 500 taxing units, and one of the largest appraisal districts in the United States. For further information, visit www. hcad.org.

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INVITATION TO BIDDERS:

NEAR NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (NNMD) - DISTRICT MARKER SIGNS: SEALED BIDS IN DUPLICATE ADDRESSED TO TBG PARTNERS WILL BE RECEIVED IN THE OFFICE OF TBG PARTNERS (3050 POST OAK BLVD., SUITE 1100, HOUSTON, TX 77056) UNTIL 10:30 A.M., APRIL 17th, 2018, AT WHICH TIME ALL BIDS WILL BE OPENED AND PUBLICLY READ FOR THE FURNISHING OF ALL MATERIAL, EQUIPMENT, LABOR AND SUPERVISION NECESSARY OR INCIDENTAL TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF NEAR NORTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT (NNMD) - DISTRICT MARKER SIGNS LOCATED IN HARRIS COUNTY NORTH OF 290 ALONG HOLLISTER STREET AND ANTOINE DRIVE.

SCOPE OF PROJECT:

IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: SIGN FABRICATION AND ELECTRICAL WORK, PLANTING AND IRRIGATION. A MANDATORY PRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT THE OFFICE OF TBG PARTNERS LOCATED AT 3050 POST OAK BLVD, SUITE 1100, HOUSTON, TX ON APRIL 3rd, 2018 AT 10:30 A.M. (ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY). PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND BID DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE, AND MAY BE PURCHASED AT THOMAS PRINTWORKS (4235 RICHMOND AVE., HOUTON, TX, 77027). PLANS FOR VIEWING ONLY ARE AVAILABLE AT TBG PARTNERS, INC. BID BONDS ARE REQUIRED AND MUST ACCOMPANY EACH BID. THE SUCCESSFUL BIDDER WILL BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A PERFORMANCE BOND AND A PAYMENT BOND, AS PROVIDED FOR IN THE BID DOCUMENTS, FOR THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE CONTRACT. THE OWNER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY OR ALL BIDS.